Vayan
A nomadic race of Kitsune. * History ** The kitsune race have the most accurate oral history, second only to the Dragons. The Kitsune remember the titans and tell tales of their heroes of old using cunning to trick titans and escape being eaten. *** Vayans were the favored snack of Titans. ** Most races who hear these tales dismiss them. The gypsies are liars and thieves it would make sense their folk heroes are the same. ** Despite largely being outcasts the Vayans never experienced any true harm aside from social stigmas, this was due to the Dragons ensuring that any who would take violent action against them (at least at an military level) did not. ** The Vayans travel a great deal in family ships and they share stories to remember their past. They are typically politely but sternly told to keep moving after docking for a few weeks. ** The Vayans lost the protection of the Dragons when they worked to save the Emperor's family. *** They had saved the family for a handful of reasons. **** The Emperor had a deep sense of wanderlust and would often escape his throne aboard Vayan ships. He built up a strong rapport with them. **** The coup was going to be a bloodbath and murdering an entire family was seen as a travesty as that bloodline, and their stories would be lost. **** They owed the Emperor a favor. *** The Vayans sneaked into the Emperor's citadel and spirited away their family. A band of unnamed pirates (PC's in another adventure) held the osterland and widowmark soldiers at bay. Tragically only one of the Vayan ships made it out carrying with it the now Queen of the Empire. ** Without the Dragons' protection the Vayan are subject to more prejudice. They are hailed as heroes in New Bastion, and vilified in the Republic. The neutral territories treat them with scorn due to them being blamed for the civil war and the fall of the empire. * Culture ** Family Orientated *** The Vayans travel in family ships. Wealthier familys have a larger central sloop, while poorer ones have a fleet of smaller ships that sail together. *** Children are raised communally in an 'it takes a village' mentality (as opposed to the gnolls). **** Children often spend most of their time in a creche ship where the elderly family members take turns watching them and telling stories. **** Creche ships are often a hodge podge of carpentry and rigging. Due to being a race of vulpine shape shifters they are designed to accommodate both humanoid and vulpine forms. **** Stories: ***** The Vayan have a very rich oral tradition, they are story tellers first and foremost. ***** Stories are passed down from generation to generations and most Vayan have them memorized before they sail their own ship. ***** The stories are typically not known by outsiders and it is possible for family members to have an entire conversation just in references to their family stories, acting as a form of thieve's cant. (All Vayan start with an extra language with the same name as their family name) *** The Vayan race has Matriarchal-inheritance with the ship (their home) being passed down the female bloodline, but is patriarchal in leadership. *** Female Vayan stay with the family the majority of their lives where as males tend to marry into other tribes. **** Males inherit and pass on nothing. All possessions go to the woman they marry. ***** A group of male brothers and cousins will typically all leave together in a bachelor ship. It is expected that they get up to all sorts of debauchery in order to have more stories to their children. (It's basically a frat boat or maybe roaving bachelor party) ***** The downside of the bachelor ships is that they often give Vayan's a bad name in ports. ***** Being sent out on a bachelor ship is seen as a coming of age ritual. Once you leave the family you are a man sort of deal. ***** For large families with many generations of children, the bachelor ship is sent out yearly with all the boys who the elders decided are ready. For smaller families the ships are less frequent with some of the boys in the batch already being men as other cultures would consider. * Points to cover * History under the rule of the giants * Tricking the giants * Facets of life * Mythology * Relations with other factions ** Connection to Those Who Dwell Outside, the Shazarin * Reason they help the loyalists